Honey Clouds
by moonhaku
Summary: His presence forced the breath out of me. As soon as he smiled, I knew what was wrong. He was the teacher. I was the student. These things were never mean to be. SasuHina
1. Story of a Girl

**Honey Clouds**

**Summary: **His presence forced the breath out of me. As soon as he smiled, I knew what was wrong. He was the teacher. I was the student. These things were never mean to be. **SasuHina**

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

—**Story of a Girl **

It was always the same with these stories.

Boy meets girl.

Attraction evolves into infatuation, turning quickly into a flaming passion and wrapped up with painful sorrow and heartbreak.

Boy.

Meets.

Girl.

That's how it always happens, from beginning to end, from generation to generation. No relationship is normal, nothing happens the way it's portrayed in those beautiful fairy tales. Nothing more than real life can shatter the perfect world of a child. Nothing can be as devastating as a broken heart.

Nothing can be as cruel as love.

* * *

Hinata Hyuga ran up the steps of Konoha High in a flurry, putting one step in front of another, tapping on the tile steps. As she turned another curve, the butterflies in her chest threatened to choke her and the short plaid skirt that barely reached mid-thigh flew up and down. With a red face and a pounding heart, she stopped right in front of the classroom door, hesitating before the closed wooden door. She was late. On the first day of school. What would they think?

Slowly, she tugged the door open, almost dying of embarrassment when it caught on a rough spot and refused to open. The people inside were quiet, and twenty-one pairs of eyes were staring at the door. Quelling a sudden, mad desire to dash down the hallway, down the stairs and out the front gate, she pulled the door open and stumbled into the room.

_Plomp._

A shower of white dust enveloped her face, leaving her coughing and waving her arms wildly in front of her. The stillness of the room broke into loud, heaving laughter. Even with her eyes closed she could guess what had just happened. An eraser had just fallen onto her head. A dumb, chalk-filled, old, musty blackboard eraser had just fallen on her head. What a spectacle she must be. All her books were on the floor, thrown away when she was surprised by the old-school trick.

Blinking away tears, she brushed the dust-filled bangs out of her face, gathered her books, and hurried to the empty chair in the left corner of the room. She straightened up the mess that was her books and waited for the lesson to begin, not daring to look up at the teacher. The class passed by slowly, as she was listening to the teacher drone on about calculus and stopping every two minutes to scold the whole class for not listening. This concept of math was utterly foreign to her, and the spitballs and insults flying over her head weren't exactly help with her concentration. Nevertheless, the clock kept ticking and time kept passing as she struggled to complete the assigned problems and take notes on the lecture. At least listening in class didn't require her to think. It was in this fashion that she spent the whole day, stopping only to eat lunch sparingly from the homemade bento made the night before.

Only when the last bell rang and she started to pack up her books did she remember the embarrassment that she had suffered earlier at the hands of her classmates. That familiar, horrible feeling came back into her stomach and her breaths came out in short gasps as she fought the tears that had started to well up a full hour ago. Her hands fumbled and the stacked up binders slid to the floor. Just before she knelt down to get it, a shadow covered her and another hand gathered up the binders and handed them to her. She followed the hand, looking timidly through her bangs at her mysterious rescuer.

It was a tall, blond student. His clear blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Hinata had seen him from somewhere. _Oh!_ She thought, _He's Uzumaki Naruto!_ Now she knew who he was. Uzumaki Naruto, famous class-clown and leader of the school delinquents. That eraser trick earlier was probably his doing.

"Um, sorry for that trick earlier," he scratched the back of his head noncommittally, "Um, it was just a joke. Don't take it too seriously." Her mouth fell open as she stared at him. Her mind was a total blank.

He smiled at her, "Hey, you're pretty cute! You want to go out for a drink or something after school?" Before she could bring up the nerve to stutter a reply, another shadow fell over them.

"Actually, Uzumaki-san here will be serving detention with me for the next few weeks for this prank and the ones from last year. He, unfortunately, will have absolutely no time to accommodate a girlfriend."

"Aww man! Sasuke-kuuuuun, you can't doooo this to meeee –", Naruto started to whine at the interloper. Hinata followed his eyes…to the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. His black hair and pale skin was the direct opposite of her companion's blonde hair and tanned skin. The obsidian eyes behind fashionable square glasses seemed amused.

"Would you like a few more hundred hours of community service with that?" His eyes narrowed and the most frightening smile Hinata had ever seen appeared on his face. "_Punk._ Call me 'Sasuke' or 'Sasuke-kun' or anything similar to that and I'll castrate you. Slowly."

"Woah – okay – no! I mean, yeah, I…uh…won't do stuff like that again, um, sir!" Naruto smiled nervously and held both hands up in defeat. After an awkward glance at the teacher and shifting around his backpack strap, he ran out the room. After he was a sufficient distance from the classroom door, she heard him shout, "We'll drink some other time, Hinata-chaaaaan!" She rolled her eyes ever so slightly. That boy was an idiot – and heartless, because he had left her all alone with this, this _person_. She didn't even dare look up at him who had just made the school's model delinquent run fearing for his life. Quickly gathering the binders to her chest, she stood up, trying to leave – and _bumped into him_. She flinched. Was he going to yell at her? Or kill her? Anything was possible.

"I'm not going to eat you," she heard him state dryly. "I prefer voluptuous, sexy girls who don't cry because of one little prank."

Was he making a _joke_? She peeked up at him through her bangs. He looked so positively serious that it seemed impossible that he was joking. When he stared back at her, she ducked again and mumbled, "Um…I have to get going, uh…" Who was he again?

"Um…uh…" She kept stuttering, _who was he again? He's a teacher…but, WHO?! _

"I'm Uchiha-sensei, and you would know that if you paid more attention in class today, Hyuga-san." Her eyes widened. Her homeroom teacher! She had been so busy looking down and feeling miserable and didn't notice him at all. "I trust you'll pay more attention from now on, and we can both forget about this conversation."

She nodded hurriedly, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible and escape to the safety of home. Away, away from this beautiful scary man.

"_Say_ something, Hyuga-san. It's also customary to _look_ at someone they're talking to you," he sounded annoyed. Kami, was he going to hit her? "Stop trembling like a small field mouse. You're not really worth eating, anyhow."

"Ah, um…" She stuttered, not really knowing how to respond. Suddenly, she felt cool hands cupping her chin and jerking her head up. His smooth, poreless face was just inches away from her own. She could feel her face heating up rapidly. His own features were perfectly molded, like a faultless sculpture come to life. He smiled. Her head spun at the mere way her heart pounded.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" He took away her hand as she pushed him aside and ran out the door. Chuckling silently to himself at his new extremely timid pupil, Sasuke Uchiha-sensei made his way to his desk and started packing up for the day, reminding himself to compliment Naruto on his good taste.

* * *

Hinata smiled as she stretched her aching arms and closed her English workbook, placing it atop the pile of binders neatly piled on her desk. It was 9:30 and her head was buzzing from the mountain of homework she had somehow completed before midnight. Teachers had given out extensive review assignments; as if one month had been enough to forget anything – not to mention the infuriating homework that had also been assigned. It wasn't as if Hinata Hyuga had friends to hang out with or a boyfriend to spend time with. She did go to Paris once, but it was only because her younger sister needed to a chaperone.

Now she was in Tokyo, living by herself in an unnecessarily large condo that her father had insisted on purchasing for her, attending high school and enjoying the prime of her life. Well, she was supposed to be, at least. Just like back at home, there was nothing to do, except look out the floor to ceiling windows of her living room and wondering what the ant-like people below were thinking. Was the person in orange hurrying home to cook dinner? What that fashionista in black heels walking to a modeling agency? She enjoyed vicarious thrills from thinking about those people and their more interesting lives. But their lives didn't interest her for long – they only reminded her of the loneliness that surrounded her. Kami, she was so bored and lonely she could _die_.

Jamming orange earbuds into her ears, she clicked open her iPod, set the music on full volume and sat onto the plushy couch in her living room. Nothing to do, nothing to think about…except school, the only time she ever came in close contact with any other humans. There hadn't really been anything worth mentioning about the day; it had been dull, just like it had been in Osaka, her _real _home. At least there she knew everyone and she was safe from random pranks.

Tokyo was a big, bustling city that never slept, everyone always had something to do. Life was really unfair sometimes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, I know, stereotypical story. But it won't be soon. I know I'll probably never finish this and you'll agonize over waiting for updates. Sorry in advance. Please review! :]

moonhaku


	2. Spilt Milk

_**Honey Clouds**_

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**

–**Spilt Milk**

The wailing of sirens woke the dark-haired girl from her peaceful slumber on the couch. Her ears ached from the battering of music from her earbuds the whole night. She stretched, reminding herself not to sleep on such a soft couch again. It was painful since there had been no support for her back or neck the whole night. When she noticed the sunlight streaming down from the clouds, it was already too late. She ran to bathroom in a flurry, knowing full well that she would be late for school _two _days in a row. That scary Uchiha-sensei would _murder _her.

Running into the classroom, she braced herself for the impact of another eraser – and was genuinely surprised when there was none. The rest of the day seemed to follow through, going on smoothly without any disturbances. She was glad to see that the delinquent seemed to completely forget about her and Uchiha-sensei acted like the day before had never happened. Sometimes she imagined him staring at her when she was taking notes, but whenever she looked up, he was looking in another direction. She was probably being oversensitive.

The following weeks dragged on slowly. Hinata made no new friends, went straight home after school, and fended off occasional questions from the homeroom teacher. Sometimes, as she was rushing out the door, he would call her back and ask how she was adjusting to life in Tokyo. Every time, she would blush and look down while mumbling an unintelligible answer. She didn't know what to make of her strange teacher and his attempts to watch over her. Sometimes her eyes would wander over to him while the rest of the class was doing classwork, imagining what he was thinking behind that perfect, porcelain face. He would lift his face once in a while, checking for any disturbances in the class, and Hinata would quickly duck her head, fearing that he had noticed her prolonged stare.

When she was at home, it was always homework, and then crying herself to sleep. There was nothing to do in this strange city – no one to talk to, no one to smile with. She sometimes noticed that she started to forget to eat dinner or pack a lunch for herself. And somehow, it didn't seem to matter anymore – the world was just a haze, and she was nobody. It was like she was just a puff of air that nobody paid attention to. Nobody noticed her – at least that was what she thought.

"Hey Hina-chan!" A familiar voice woke her out of her daily reverie. Looking up hesitantly, she came face to face with Uzumaki Naruto. Startled, she scrambled back, almost tipping over her chair.

"Soooo, me and some friends are going to the karaoke bar later, you want to come?" The blond seemed unperturbed by Hinata's surprised face. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Um…I…" she stuttered helplessly, not knowing how to answer. Part of her wanted to go along; maybe it would lift the cloud of depression that had been hanging over her for so long. But another, stronger desire to go home and wallow in self-pity welled up. She stole another glance at Uzumaki's bright blue eyes, dimly wondering if he was mixed-blood and just what he wanted with a girl like her.

"Sasuke-kun's coming along with us too," Naruto added, "if that makes it better." Naturally, a shadow fell over him as soon as he uttered said person's name.

"Four more weeks of detention for that, Uzumaki-san," their homeroom teacher said from behind him. "She doesn't have to go."

"But it was your –" the blond quickly cut off his sentence when he saw the teacher's icy glare and Hinata wondered if she had just seen those black obsidian eyes flare red. Worried that the well-intentioned boy would get into trouble again, she nodded her agreement shyly. A huge grin broke out on Naruto's face.

"Nice! Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go! Follow us!'

Hinata felt her knees shake when she saw the better half of the class get up and head out. Ahead of her, Naruto held out a hand, and after a moment, she took it hesitantly after one last look at her homeroom teacher. He looked half-amused and slightly sad – as if he were remembering his own high-school days, which couldn't have been too long ago. After all, Hinata thought, Uchiha-sensei couldn't be any older than twenty-five, at the most.

"Hey!" Naruto turned around, "Aren't you coming, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hai, hai," the dark-haired man seemed to be exasperated at Naruto's apparent lack of respect. "I just have to make a call."

"Okay! Don't be too late, Sasuke-kuuuun!" he smiled and pulled Hinata behind him. As they went out the door and the class was empty, Sasuke shook his head, smiling softly. He took out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number. A cheerful female voice from the other end answered.

"Hey, Sakura?" He looked up at the ceiling, pacing as he always did when on the phone. "I won't be able to make it back for dinner – I'll take you to lunch tomorrow, okay?" The woman at the other end seemed disappointed. Sasuke sighed, "I know it won't be as good as a dinner date, but I have some business to take care of tonight. See you tomorrow, okay?" Smiling, he hung up, picked up his shoulder bag and quickly walked out the door.

* * *

"Um…Uzumaki-san?" Hinata tried yelled over the noise and tapped the arm of her new friend softly. They were on a motorcycle, weaving through the loud and busy streets of Tokyo. She shook off a paper bag that had snagged onto her feet as they rode through the polluted air.

"WHAT?" He yelled back, startling her so much she almost fell off the motorcycle. "AND BY THE WAY, SPEAK LOUDER, I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

"UZUMAKI-SAN-"

"CALL ME NARUTO," he interrupted her.

"Um…okay…uh…NARUTO-SAN?" She yelped as they narrowly avoided a head on collision with a delivery truck. The driver leaned out his window, spitting out profanities angrily. After staring at him for a moment, Hinata continued, "DOES UCHIHA-SENSEI HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?"

"A GIRLFRIEND? YEAH, HE DOES. SHE'S REALLY PRETTY, YOU KNOW," he paused as they rounded another sharp curve, "PINK HAIR, GREEN EYES AND ALL. WHY? YOU LIKE HIM?"

"n-n-no! NO! OF COURSE NOT!" It took a moment for Hinata to respond through a sudden, overwhelming blush. That Naruto, she thought, he has such a perverted mind. Uchiha-sensei is a teacher!

"THAT'S GOOD," Naruto shouted back, "'CAUSE YOU'RE REALLY PRETTY." She blushed furiously again, and would have looked down if her arms weren't around his waist, holding on for dear life. They stopped talking for the next few minutes, Hinata's head still spinning from the compliment. _Pretty, _she thought, _no one's ever called me that before. _Inside, she was giddy, but also unimaginably embarrassed. It was feeling that she could seriously get used to. Maybe life in Tokyo wouldn't be so bad after all. She didn't notice the blush that covered the boy's face when her arms unconsciously tightened.

Hinata quickly unlaced her hands when they stopped in front of a large neon sign, indicating a bustling karaoke bar right in the heart of Japan's capital city. Naruto gazed at her sheepishly as she stared at the tall building, her eyes wide as she took it all in. Her first trip with classmates, Hinata gulped nervously, already regretting coming. Suddenly, she felt a larger hand envelope her small one. Startled, she looked up at Naruto, who had grasped her hand.

"It'll be fun, Hina-chan. Really." He said with a tinge of red on his cheeks. She smiled gently at his awkward reassurance. He tugged her inside, through the bright lights.

"Hey Anko," he greeted the receptionist cheerfully, "Having fun?" The black-haired woman looked up from her game of computer solitaire, embarrassed at being caught. When she caught sight of Hinata and their intertwined hands, she smiled.

"You've got a pretty little lady with you this time, eh, Naruto?" Anko's smile grew wider as Hinata blushed and tried to extract her hands from Naruto's firm hold. "Your friends are in the room upstairs, two doors down the left." She turned to Hinata with a teasing look, "What's your name, honey?"

"Um..uh..." Hinata stuttered softly, not knowing what to make of this stranger. Naruto seemed to notice her discomfort and answered, "Stop teasing her, baa-chan, she's really shy. Not everyone is a loudmouth like you."

"I should castrate you for that, boy," she lit a cigarette and smiled, "But I won't because of that sweet little lady you have with you. Now go and do whatever you kids do all the time." Without another word, she turned back to her game of solitaire. Naruto pulled Hinata away from the receptionists and down the hallway.

They walked down at a hurried pace, with Naruto at the front and Hinata following close behind him. She could hear music, metal, and noise emanating from each of the rooms they passed. Realizing that he was still holding her hand, Hinata whispered, "Um..Naruto-kun…you don't have to hold my hand anymore…"

"Oh." He let it drop quickly, in an embarrassed tone. Her hand suddenly felt lost without the sweaty, tight embrace. They walked a bit slower now, as Naruto allowed Hinata to catch up with his much longer strides. When they went up the stairs, Hinata peeked up at his back through her long bangs. He was tan and slightly muscular. She remembered his clear blue eyes and seemingly natural blond hair. Although it didn't matter, Hinata couldn't get the courage to ask him if he was only half Japanese. So intent was she that she forgot to lift her feet and tripped over the ledge. She yelped as a hand caught her right before her face smacked into the stairs. Looking up, she found her face only centimeters away from Naruto's.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Hinata nodded, her chest heaving from the close distance of their faces. Naruto helped her up and they continued their way to the room.

The music hit her as the door opened. The whole room seemed to be vibrating. She suddenly found herself alone in middle of the crowd as Naruto mingled effortlessly with their classmates. Sitting on the edge of a red sofa was Uchiha-sensei, looking positively bored and holding an open book in his hands. His glasses were pushed over his head, mussing up his bangs but still managing to make his features seem even more perfect. Hinata stood in the middle of room self-consciously, looking for open seats that weren't right next to her sensei. There weren't any. Just as she was contemplating going over and standing in the corner until the night was over, Sasuke raised his eyes from the novel and saw her. He beckoned her over to the empty seat next to him. After a second of hesitation, she quickly stumbled over the soda bottles and backpacks littering the room to the cushy sofa.

Hinata sat down, looking at her hands nervously. Sitting next to Uchiha-sensei was destroying her nerves. Replaying in her mind over and over again was Naruto's cheery face. She could almost _feel _Uchiha-sensei's gaze penetrating her brain and plucking out her thoughts. When she lifted her head, she saw Naruto singing into the microphone, laughing and talking all the while. How she envied his confidence in himself and in others.

"Admiring Uzumaki, Hyuga-san?" A cool voice beside her shook her out of her envious thoughts.

"No!" Her cheeks flushed when she realized that she had answered too quickly. She looked down, playing with her fingers, remembering the feeling of Naruto's big hands over hers'. Just thinking of it brought another blush to her cheeks. Sasuke saw the shy smile on her face and could guess what she was thinking of.

"Um..uh…I-I was just thinking how n-nice it would be…if I-I were th-that confident," Hinata accidentally murmured. A low chuckle came from her teacher.

"You know, Naruto wasn't always like that." Sasuke put his book on his lap and ran a hand through his hair. "He used to a little, sullen kid."

"R-really?" Hinata couldn't imagine Naruto without that huge grin on his complexion. Sasuke smirked and looked at Naruto fondly.

"You could probably tell that Naruto isn't completely Japanese," he said, phrasing it more as a statement than an inquiry. "His father was French. But he died before Naruto was born and his mother, who was Japanese, died when Naruto was four. For the longest time, Naruto was a complete introvert. You won't believe how much he was teased for that blond hair and those blue eyes."

"H-how do you know?" She blushed at such a bold question. However, Sasuke just smiled, "I was thirteen when I first met him. He was five back then, such a little tyke compared to what he is now. I still remember how much he cried when I left for college, even though he was already ten by then. When I came back to teach, he had already become such a delinquent. He even had the nerve to call me 'Sasuke-kun', like we were still kids."

"Oh…" Hinata saw the gentle expression on Sasuke's face and decided that he wasn't so frightening and unapproachable as she had once thought. "But you seem happy."

He just smiled. "And you stopped stuttering."

She became quiet as she realized that she felt almost comfortable in the loud, booming room. The man beside her flipped his book over and continued reading, keeping a watchful eye on the rest of the high schoolers.

"Hina-chan!" Hinata jumped when she heard Naruto call out her name. "Let's sing! Come on! You too, Sasuke-kun!"

"Um..uh…" Hinata started to stutter again. Singing? In front of everyone? She felt like digging a hole in the ground and never coming back up.

"Stop bullying her, Naruto." Sasuke came to her rescue, "She doesn't want to, can't you see that?"

"Well since you're being so nice, why don't you sing for us," Naruto paused to emphasize the effect, "Sasuke-_kun_?"

"No." His answer was direct and clipped.

"Aww man, you're such a party pooper," Naruto turned to Hinata, "Well, I guess that means Hinata's singing after all." She threw a desperate look at her homeroom teacher, for what reason, she had no idea. All she knew was that there was no way that she would survive singing in front of everyone. To her relief, he sighed and snatched the microphone out of Naruto's hands.

"You've been warned," Sasuke said into the mic, "I happen to suck at singing."

And he was completely and utterly correct. After thirty seconds, Naruto made a move to steal the microphone from Sasuke's hands, failing when he stepped out of the way. He looked at the blond, as if saying, 'you asked for it.' Hinata couldn't resist smiling as she watched the easygoing interaction in front of her.

Life was getting better by the second.

* * *

Hinata waved to Naruto as he sped away on his motorcycle. They had ended up staying at that karaoke bar until eight, and then some of them, including Naruto, Hinata and Uchiha-sensei, ended up eating at a restaurant later. Through the evening, Hinata found herself loosening up, and for a second, Tokyo had felt like home.

However, when she stepped into the dark, cool interior of her empty condo, another wave of loneliness washed over her. Who was she kidding? She was still alone, and frighteningly so. All the merriment of the evening melted away as she surveyed the emptiness of her 'home.'

"Home sweet home," she muttered. Tears threatened to pour out of her eyes again, as if she hadn't just been laughing and smiling only half an hour ago. Hinata walked into her bedroom and laid out all her workbooks on the table. Nothing worked. She was still alone.

She sighed miserably, opened her iPod and started on the calculus homework.

* * *

**Author's Note: **That was unnaturally fast. Don't get used to it. But to prevent writer's block, I planned out the whole story, chapter by chapter, for the first time, so it should be well structured. Thanks for all the feedback && encouragements! Please review!

moonhaku 


	3. This Side Up

_**Honey Clouds**_

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**

–**This Side Up**

"Hinata! Are you listening?" The slight, dark-haired girl immediately straightened up and looked up into the clear, cerulean eyes of the girl who was talking to her. She blinked rapidly, clearing the fog from her eyes. What had they been discussing?

"Uh...yeah." She mumbled after a second of hesitation. The blonde girl in front of her seemed exasperated, muttering, "You _could _just listen to me, you know. I'm not that boring."

"No! I was uh…thinking. G-go on." Hinata tried to smile reassuring at her annoyed classmate. Ino, as the girl was called, eyed her suspiciously but brightened up almost immediately and began telling her story again. Hinata sighed and tried to concentrate on her words this time around, not wanting to infuriate her again.

"So I was walking down the street, next to the candy shop on the corner of 4th street, and there was this guy in the shop – I think he worked there. Anyway, so I look in because he's really hot - and because I needed to get some chocolate, of course. And then he gives me his phone number when I pay for it so now I have a date with him afterschool today," Ino paused, her eyes shining. Hinata dimly wondered if the trail of clouds outside the window were titanium white or egg yolk white. "I wonder if I can get a job there…he said that they were hiring, but high schoolers are not really allowed to work, but so many people do already! It's not like they would know, anyway. Hey Hinata, you think I should go for it?" The blonde scowled again when she looked over at the girl sitting behind her, who was staring into space, not really focusing on her earlier rant. She reached over and pinched Hinata's cheek sharply.

"Ow!" Hinata yelped and pulled away, rubbing her cheek. "Wh-what was that for?"

"For not listening _again_!" Ino frowned and tapped her fingers on the desk. The long nails made a sharp rapping sound as they hit the wood. "I swear, Hinata, you seem to have to attention span of a fly – you're never listening! So you think I should get a job or not?"

"Why would y-you want to get a job?" Hinata replied unknowingly, smiling weakly at the expression on the other girl's face. "D-do you need money for something, Ino-san?"

"Ugh...I was just," Ino sighed and put a hand to her forehead, muttering, "Never mind, never mind. I should've known you weren't listening from the very beginning."

"G-gomen…"

"It's alright!" Hinata yelped again when Ino slapped her back just a little bit too hard. "So what about you? Something must be going on if you're spacing out all the time. Is it a guy?"

"N-no!" She blushed furiously, wondering if she had answered that too quickly. Hinata fidgeted with her short skirt, not daring to meet Ino's inquisitive eyes. A guy? Of course it wasn't a guy, it never had been. If her problem had originated from the opposite sex, then her life would be so much easier and much less complicated. If it was a guy, at least Hinata would feel some measure of that sweet pain commonly called love rather than the cold emptiness that polluted her life. If it was a guy, Hinata wouldn't cry herself to sleep every night in the fetal position, trying to pull herself back together.

But Ino couldn't know that.

"It must be," Ino's blue eyes seemed to pierce a hole into Hinata's forehead. "You're blushing and your ears are red. Spill."

"St-stop it, I-Ino-san," Hinata protested weakly, "I-it's not a guy…"

A tall shadow fell over the two girls. "Hey, Ino, are you bothering Hina-chan again?" A familiar voice reached Hinata's ears.

"Naruto!" Ino scowled, knowing that she wouldn't get any more answers out of the quiet girl with him around. "Hinata's having guy problems and she won't tell me about it."

"What?" Hinata peeked up at Naruto, who seemed bewildered and confused. She cringed when he shook her shoulder, "Hey, Hina-chan? Really?"

'N-no!" They seemed unconvinced.

Hinata sighed and hid her head in her hands. Sometimes she wished that everyone would leave her alone like they all used to – then she wouldn't be forced to face Ino's questions, Naruto's sometimes confusing concern, and Uchiha-sensei's strange glances. But then, she thought, Uchiha-sensei had never really ignored her before – he had always been there. Ever since Naruto attached himself to her, Hinata slowly started to become integrated with the rest of the class. She didn't know how to handle this bustling social life around her – she had never had many friends, even back in Osaka she had really only confided in her cousin and younger sister.

And then she had to move to Tokyo, where she thought she would face obscurity again, but instead, she was forced to socialize with people she never met before. _It's all his fault, _she looked up at Naruto, who was having a heated discussion with Ino. He had pulled up a chair, sitting backwards on it, looking every bit the model delinquent. Blond hair, markings on his cheeks, dirty and ruffled school uniform and the lack of any books or even a backpack to carry things in. Sitting in front of Hinata, Ino had platinum blond hair, which was held up in a high ponytail above her head, and her school uniform was buttoned a lot lower than was allowed, exposing her generous chest. As usual, she had thick makeup on and a dangerous glint in her eye. Hinata sighed, she should've known better than to mix with Naruto's usual crowd.

"Hinata! Hinata!" Ino pushed the dark-haired girl's head back with a flick of her forefinger. Hinata clasped her forehead, wincing at the dull pain. The blond girl heaved a sigh, gesturing toward the confused girl. "See? She just blanks out in the middle of a conversation! It must be guy problems. I was like that too."

"Psh," Naruto replied, "Hina-chan is nothing like you, Ino. You hit on every slightly attractive guy you see, like that spiky haired guy in the candy shop. I don't even know what's so good about him."

"Good, then I would be forced to question your sexual orientation." Ino turned up her nose and smiled haughtily, "You're obviously straight, so you wouldn't know if a guy was hot or not. I bet you think Uchiha-sensei is ugly."

"Sasuke-kun's not ugly," Naruto protested, "He's just not that good-looking – "

"See what I mean?" Ino cut him off, "Obviously Uchiha-sensei is the hottest guy in this whole city. It's not like you're in any position to say otherwise."

"What do you mean?" Naruto retorted hotly, "I'm a thousand times better looking than Sasuke-kun!"

"Oh _really_?" A velvet voice from behind Naruto interrupted into the conversation. He cringed and looked up, smiling weakly. "Er...uh…Sasuke-kun...uh…hehe…"

"Hinata." Her name had turned into a command. She looked up, fearing the anger that she thought would be present in those black orbs of her teacher. His features were flawless as usual; black bangs ruffled slightly, spiked layer hanging down in the back, fathomless dark eyes and pale, poreless skin. However, he seemed slightly amused and her fear abated. She concentrated on his forehead, not daring to meet those black eyes that were staring at her inquisitively with much more fire than the previous blue ones. "You could just tell them to go away if you want. Don't be afraid."

"I..I," she gulped, finally meeting his eyes. "It's okay, sensei. They w-weren't really bothering me."

"Really." His tone indicated a statement more than a question. To her relief, he turned his attention from her onto her two companions, who were trying to sneak away. He grabbed Naruto by the back of his jacket and put a firm hand on Ino's shoulder, preventing any escape.

"So…" he seemed amused. "Who's going to tell me what just happened, hm?"

"Uh…" Naruto fibbed, "We were just talking about how attractive you were and uh…how you're a thousand times better looking that me!" Ino nodded vigorously, all but forgetting her earlier argument with Naruto. She looked up at Sasuke imploringly, but he seemed not to notice. Hinata almost giggled when Ino pouted and glared at Naruto, as if it was _his _fault that they had been captured by Uchiha-sensei. However, after a moment, Hinata stopped smiling, wondering if she should help her two earlier companions. Uchiha-sensei was known for his eccentric and grueling punishments. As Naruto had recounted earlier, his last detention had resulted in cleaning out all the gum from under the desks with nothing but his bare hands and sometimes his teeth. Then, just to show his 'concern' for his student's health, Uchiha-sensei had washed Naruto's mouth with soap. Food hadn't tasted quite the same ever since.

Hinata pulled her sleeves over her nail-bitten fingers, feeling the soft material in her palms, concentrating on the pastel colored corkboard in the far corner of the room. Her stomach ached slightly and her head was pounding. The screeching noise coming from her classmates weren't alleviating the situation; just making it worse.

"…we weren't bothering her, I swear!" Ino's voice reached her ears again. Hinata looked up just as Ino said, "And she agrees too!"

"Wh-what?" Hinata whispered, what were they talking about? She looked from Uchiha-sensei to Ino and then back again. The blonde girl mouthed for her to nod and agree with her. Unknowingly, Hinata ducked her head quickly in an awkward nod, not realizing the full implications of her action. "Y-yeah, I…um…agree?" She winced when her affirmative statement turned into a question.

"Really." Sasuke now focused on Hinata and she almost whimpered when she saw the unnatural amusement in his eyes. "Do you really think so, Hinata?"

Confused, she looked at Naruto and Ino, who were behind her teacher. They were mouthing and pointing wildly, and somehow, she got the message: she was to say 'yes' to everything Uchiha-sensei asked. She bobbed her head quickly, her dark locks swaying, "Y-yeah."

"That's interesting," he leaned down, his black eyes basically leaking humor and sarcasm. She was tempted to back away, but her back was firmly supported by a chair. "I didn't take you for that sort of girl, Hinata."

"Huh?" She furrowed her eyebrows, not knowing what he was referring to. He smirked at her apparent confusion.

"It's alright," he said suddenly, straightening up, leaving Hinata with a strange case of vertigo. "I will remember that; just to be careful. You are all dismissed."

Hinata let out a relieved breath. She grabbed her books and stood up, stumbling a bit. Ino and Naruto had already recovered sufficiently and were halfway out the door. Hinata grabbed her shoulder bag and followed them out. When they were a good distance from the classroom, Hinata noticed that it was eerily silent. Normally, both of them provided a constant stream of chatter without her having to say anything, but they seemed to have lost the will to talk.

"Um…Ino?" Hinata tapped the blond girl's shoulder; she didn't respond. "What were you and Uchiha-sensei talking about?"

"Err…" Ino looked away, staring at the busy traffic in the six-lane streets of Tokyo as if it greatly interested her. Her hands were unnaturally fiddling with the opaque white button on her school uniform. "Um…it's…it's nothing. You wouldn't like it."

"Was it that bad?" Hinata felt her stomach drop. What horrible thing had she admitted to agreeing to? Naruto seemed to notice her distress.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," he piped up, smiling weakly. "Actually, Ino might've been right, for all we know."

"Naruto!" Ino hissed. Hinata looked at both of them, confused. "She doesn't need to know!"

"She'll figure it out sooner or later!" Naruto retorted, "Besides, it can't be that bad. For all we know, she might actually think that Sasuke-kun is a handsome devil too! I don't know about the delicious part, though."

Hinata felt blood rush to her face and suddenly, the world started to shake around her. "Wh-what?" She whispered weakly, stopping in her tracks. "I…what?"

"Look at what you've done now, baka!" Ino shouted angrily at Naruto and pushed him away from Hinata. She reached over and held the dark-haired girl's hand, shaking it gently. "It's not that bad, Hinata, honestly. I'm really really sorry for dragging you into this and all…Hinata? Are you even listening?"

Hinata let out a shaky breath, her mind still reeling from the impact. So now, Uchiha-sensei thought that she said he was a handsome devil and that he was…delicious? No wonder he seemed so amused and said that he thought that she was 'different.' What did he think of her now! She couldn't seem to control the uncontrollable blush rising to her cheeks, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to stay conscious. This was really too much for her; she was already exhausted and tired. Crying to sleep every night and scarcely eating did that to her. And now…she sank down on the pavement, ignoring the stares of the other pedestrians on the sidewalk. Dimly, she could hear the loud argument between the two blondes on either side of her. She clapped her hands over her ears, why couldn't they just stop? Uchiha-sensei must think that she was a complete oddball…

"Just stop it!" She heard a voice shout. "Stop arguing all the time! ENOUGH ALREADY!" With much surprise, she realized that she was the one shouting. The two people in front of her went completely silent. Hinata blushed, realizing how inappropriate her sudden outburst was. "Uh…" she stuttered, "It's alright..Ino…Naruto…I'll be fine. I'll get going now."

She stumbled off in the direction of the bus stop, vaguely aware of the ensuing argument that erupted behind her. _Does Naruto think that too? _ She sat down on the wooden bench, her legs trembling. She took a deep breath, shuddering at what had happened earlier. How was she supposed to face Uchiha-sensei the next day? More importantly, she wondered why Naruto had agreed so happily to that too. She glanced back at the arguing pair a few blocks off, walking in the opposite direction. Uchiha-sensei was handsome and definitely crush-worthy, but when it all came down to it, he was a teacher.

Tokyo transit bus number 12 lurched to stop in front of her, spewing brown smoke from behind it. The driver with dry blonde hair smiled slightly and tipped his hat as Hinata stepped onto the bus. She sat down next to a slouched man, dressed in something akin to rags and holding a hot cup of coffee. There were other high school girls on the bus, chattering happily about their lives and boyfriends. Businessmen with sharp rectangular glasses tapped on their laptops, occasionally muttering angrily.

Life went on.

Hinata looked out the windows of frosted glass, the image of Naruto repeating in her mind. He couldn't really think that way, could he? She felt her heart rate quicken. No, she reprimanded herself, there was no point to this conversation with herself. _Why would it matter if Naruto thought that she liked Uchiha-sensei? _

However, even as she pondered this question, she did not dare to think that maybe, Ino had been right.

* * *

Hinata crumpled onto her couch as soon as she put down her backpack. It was a daily habit now – as soon as she walked into her empty condo, any earlier cheer quickly disappeared and left devastating loneliness in its wake. Today would be the fifth day she didn't eat dinner. It wasn't like she was hungry, anyway.

She curled up, a sob already forming. Today had been worse than all the other days ever since Naruto had befriended her. Her eyes closed and she ducked under the warm afghan on the couch, hot tears spilling onto the fabric. Tokyo was _horrible_; embarrassing situations, confusing feelings and smoldering black eyes all rolled up into one messed up life. Her nails raked at the couch, trying to find a foothold as she felt the world crumble around her. She just wanted to go _home_ and forget all of this. Naruto had been nice to her, but she felt her heart clench whenever his face appeared in her mind. The pain only magnified when she thought of Uchiha-sensei. They were so _normal_ and integrated into society; she wasn't worthy to be in their company.

"Hinata?" She yelped and pulled the blanket off of her, tears still running down her cheeks.

"Who…" her voice trailed off as she saw who it was. Black hair, pale skin…and disconcertingly white eyes, identical to her own. "N-neji?"

"Hai," his silvery eyes were hard and concerned. Hinata quickly wiped at her face, trying to erase any tear marks. She smiled weakly, putting on a show of bravado.

"Wh-what are you doing here, Neji?" She asked, trying to distract him from her earlier tears. He hesitated, then complied.

"Checking up on you, I–"he cleared his throat,"Hiashi-sama wanted to see how you were doing." He turned his full attention on Hinata, who was still trembling slightly from her tears. "And I see that you're not doing well at all."

"I-I'm fine." _I seem to be saying that a lot lately…_

"No, you're not." His eyes were cold, seeing straight through her obvious lie. "If you were fine, you wouldn't be crying and starving yourself to death."

"I-I'm not starving myself."

"Hinata," Neji closed his eyes and sighed, "There is not one speck of food in this entire house and that dish detergent is still full. You've been here for more than a month."

"I-I've been going out to eat."

"You're not a good liar," he whispered, "you never were, Hinata. Tell me what's wrong. You miss Osaka, don't you?"

"Neji…" she couldn't stop the tears from dripping down her cheeks again. She pulled up the blanket, hiding her face from her cousin. She couldn't cry, no no no no … but the tears gushed out relentlessly. Hinata cried, feeling as if her heart would break. She was aware of her cousin's arms around her, gently wiping her face with tissues and stroking her hair the whole time. It all came at her at once – all of these weeks living in a city of strangers, forcing herself to smile everyday. Faces and images flashed through her head, her classmates, the bus drivers, teachers…especially the one with smoldering black eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry for the lack of Sasuke/Hinata interaction, but that will all be made up in the next chapter, I promise. This story will mainly be told from Hinata's side, so we won't get to see that much of Sasuke until later on when…uh…things…happen. Hehe. **Please review! **

moonhaku

**p.s. props to those who recognize the bus :] **


	4. Being Social

_**Honey Clouds**_

**Author's Note: **Um. Hi guys. *waves* This chapter has been half written for a while (by a while, I mean over a year), so I thought I'd finish it. I seem to have a penchant for starting long stories and never really finishing them. Luckily I sort of like this one, so maybe it'll survive.

**Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

– **Being Social**

"You should go out more, Hinata," Neji commented dryly over dinner. He surveyed her unchanging expression over a bowl of rice. "Make friends, socialize and such."

"I do." Her reply was soft as she lifted her chopsticks to her mouth and chewed numbly on the clump of rice. "I-I went out to the karaoke once, a-and I go on w-walks sometimes…" Her voice trailed off. It was true, what her cousin said. In retrospect, Hinata had just holed herself up in the cold, empty condo. School was basically the only place she ever had any contact with people.

"There's a fair just a few blocks away." Neji suggested, flipping through a local newspaper. "Looks interesting. Maybe you could ask your friends to take you." Hinata nodded absentmindedly. Naruto and Ino had been talking about it eagerly, as well as the other students in the class. They had invited her to go along, but she had politely refused their well-meaning invitation. Of course, her refusal had nothing to do with the fact that she had seen Uchiha-sensei turn down the same invitation.

"I-I have homework." The excuse was usually foolproof, but never against Neji. She looked down, not daring to meet his white eyes, which were now clearly focused on her bangs.

"You've always finished your homework right after school, Hinata. I don't think the word procrastination is in your dictionary." He chuckled to himself and took a sip of water. After another bite, he pointed his chopsticks at her and continued, "Besides, I'm sure it wouldn't matter if you missed one or two homework assignments. I could talk to your teacher for you."

"No!" Her chopsticks clattered to the ground. She blushed when he stared at her, surprised at her violent reaction. Neji and Uchiha-sensei was definitely a lethal mix. Besides, she didn't want her depression and apparent need to socialize to spread around the school.

"S-sensei's just fine, nii-san…I'll go." She sighed.

"That's better," Neji finally smiled and reached over to pat her shoulders. "Actually, I think I'll go along with you. There's nothing I have planned tonight."

"That would be nice." Hinata secretly began to warm up to the idea of going to the fair, just a little. It had been a long time since she and her cousin had gone anywhere by themselves.

Neji was only a few years older, but he was the model overachiever and always busy. The last time she could remember going anywhere with him was at the very beginning of junior high school; then he had gotten a girlfriend and Hinata was out of the picture. Although there were no more girlfriends in college, the schoolwork and opening business had made Neji busier than ever.

_Popcorn sounds like a good idea…_she bit her lip and began to eat more eagerly. It had been a long time since she had looked forward to something.

* * *

"I remember those," Neji pointed to the Ferris wheel towering above the other attractions. The large white wheel was covered with gaudy lights, outshining the stars in the sky far above them. "You were six then first time we went on it. You started crying so hard when we stopped at the top."

"Neji!" Hinata gasped and her cheeks turned pink. True, until she was ten, she had been terrified of falling off of the ferris wheel. Then she had discovered roller coasters and the fear had evaporated. Fear didn't even have time to appear when the speed and exhilaration enveloped her. However, dangling at that monstrous height with nothing but thin metal underneath her feet still made her knees tremble. And it was _slow_, which meant she had plenty of time to think about all the ways the machinery could malfunction and she could die a painful death. She pouted, trying to look displeased. Neji just ignored it and pointed to the merry-go-round.

"And then that. You refused to get off, and Hiashi-sama had to buy you a carousel horse and it was stuck in your room for months!" He chuckled to himself. Hinata just shook her head and shoved some cotton candy in her mouth.

"Only old people keep reminiscing like that." She patted his shoulder and smiled patronizingly at him, "oji-san."

"Hey!" Neji frowned, "I'm only a few years older than you!"

Hinata laughed softly to herself. Neji looked down at her fondly and patted her head softly, relieved. She had been suffering; he noticed that when he had first stepped into her condo. She was noticeably paler and gaunt, though the sun was stronger in Tokyo and the season was approaching summer. He pulled off some cotton candy from the cone she held in her hand, and put it into his mouth, feeling the sharp sweetness melting on his tongue. He looked down at her again; her blushing cheeks and flustered look suited her much better than the coldness and loneliness that she had been emanating earlier.

But no matter her condition, Hinata had always been beautiful to him.

He looked away from her after a moment, surveying the crowd when something caught his eye.

"Hinata," he shook the girl next to him. "Those kids look around your age, do you know them?" She followed his gaze and gasped in surprise. A smile lit up her features, brightening up Neji's vision. Maybe he had been right to take her to this troublesome fair, after all.

"That's Naruto and Ino," she paused and then whispered in surprise, her voice, as well as her smile, faltering,"…a-and Uchiha-sensei."

"Well," Neji gave her a little push, unpleased with the sudden change in her mood. "Why don't you go talk to them?"

"Um…" Hinata closed her eyes and turned away, shaking her head. "I..I don't want to."

"You seemed happy just a second ago." Neji stated dryly. "Why the sudden change?"

"It's…it's nothing." Hinata tried not to meet Neji's eyes, knowing that her words wouldn't hold up.

Neji frowned; Hinata had never tried to hide things from him before. Whether it had been lost homework or problems with friends, Neji had always been confident that he knew everything about Hinata. Yet earlier, she had tried to convince him that she wasn't starving herself to death though she obviously was; but he had brushed that off as concern and homesickness. And here they were, in the middle of the fair, and she was hiding something else _again_.

He glanced over again at the group of high-school students; they seemed harmless enough. There were two blondes in the group, one natural with bright blue eyes and one unnatural with colored contacts. They were walking and talking excitedly, pointing to different attractions and generally acting like children. Behind them trailed a taller and older-looking man, talking on his phone and looking utterly bored.

He was the only one who didn't quite seem like a student.

Neji sighed and rubbed Hinata's head. There was no reason to force her to tell him what was going on. After all, she had just moved to Tokyo for a month; it was understandable that there would be problems with making friends and such. Hinata had always too passive about initiating friendship; it was something that irked Neji but also comforted him. At least it meant no boys would get close to Hinata. That could get messy and Neji didn't like it when Hinata cried. The other option was even worse, however.

"Okay," he mumbled, injecting some false sadness into his voice, "If you don't want to tell me, it's alright."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and concerned. "I'm sorry, Neji-nii…I-I don't really know why…" When she caught him smiling, she pouted and tried to glare at him. "Don't tease me like that, Neji-nii."

The man chuckled and replied, "Let's just go on the carousel. You'll have fun on it. Maybe I'll have to ask Hiashi-sama for that old carousel horse again – hey! Ouch!"

Hinata had pushed him, hard. Even through her displeased face, Neji could see her relaxing again. She wasn't strong enough to hurt him anyway. Neji stumbled back, his foot landing on a big piece of fresh gum. He frowned when he felt the squelching feeling under the soles of his formal shoes. _Crap! _Neji looked down, why hadn't he changed into sneakers instead of the leather dress shoes he usually wore while traveling? Oh right, his mind reminded him, getting Hinata out of her hermit cave had rearranged the whole list of priorities in his head. Hinata laughed a bit at Neji's expression, as he lifted his foot experimentally. The gum was quite stretchy and quite fresh as well.

"Now look," Neji said dryly, "It seems that you owe me a new pair of shoes." Hinata giggled at his dismay and Neji sighed – these had been his _favorite_ pair. They were new and shipped right from Italy a few weeks ago. However, Hinata seemed to be perking up, so maybe the shoes had to be sacrificed after all.

He quickly jerked his foot away from the gum and scraped it on the sidewalk, trying to get off the excess. It would really be annoying to have to constantly feel something under his shoe adhering to the ground. He located a bench twenty paces away, deciding that maybe one of his gift cards would have to take the fall as well. Being a clean freak, he was surprised that he wasn't already hyperventilating from the grime.

"I'm going to go get this gum off my shoe, Hinata," he said to his cousin, who had by now recovered from her giggle fit. "You should go talk to your friends. They seem nice."

"Wh-what?" Hinata looked startled. "B-but, I'll just help you get it o-off."

"I'm fine by myself," Neji replied with a slight smirk, "Besides, who knows, you might push me off the bench. These are very expensive pants."

"Neji!"

"I was just kidding," he patted her on the shoulder and gave her a little push in the general direction of the group. "Go on, now."

"B-but," her fingers were up to her mouth again, a nervous tic she had never outgrown.

"Now Hinata, socialize. It's not that scary," Neji gave her a wry smile and walked off. He would be watching closely of course; there were males over there, and as much as she needed to talk to other people, he still didn't like the thought of Hinata being near the opposite gender.

"I-I…." Hinata faltered as she saw her cousin head for the bench on the corner. Great, now she had to actually talk to them. She cursed herself for actually coming to the fair; look where it got her now. And, she thought as she glanced at the unmoving group of chattering classmates, didn't Uchiha-sensei reject the invitation to the fair? What did it matter to her anyway? She shook her head hurriedly to dispel such troublesome questions. It really wouldn't do to stand awkwardly in the middle of the street, especially went she could just feel Neji's eyes burn a hole into the back of her head.

"Fine, fine," she muttered under her breath. Taking a deep breath, she slowly approached the ticket stand, where they were waiting in line. Naruto caught sight of her when she was just a few steps away. He waved and shouted something she didn't quite catch, but suddenly every head swiveled to look straight at her. Hinata knew her cheeks were burning, and at that moment, bolting into the middle of the street seemed to be a viable option.

"Um..h-hi," she raised a hand and put on a weak smile. It was just so _odd_ to see her classmates out of uniform. It made them seem more real. The thought suddenly struck her that they were _real_ people, with lives outside of school, and with their own thoughts and lives. Somehow, that was strange.

"Hinata!" Ino ran up to her and immediately attached herself to Hinata's right arm. "I thought you couldn't make it?"

"Uh…I-I finished my h-homework early…" Hinata blushed at her blatant lie, but she couldn't really say that her cousin had randomly showed up and forced her to socialize, could she?

"That's great! We can go on a ton of rides together then," Ino grinned, leading Hinata to join the circle. Hinata surveyed the group; a strange sense of vertigo encompassing her. Other than Naruto and Ino, there were Kiba, Shino, Chouji, and some other people she didn't know.

Something brushed her ankle and she yelped, quickly withdrawing her foot. She looked down, realizing that it was just a puppy.

"Akamaru, get back here boy," Kiba scooped the puppy up into his arms and smiled apologetically at Hinata. "Sorry 'bout that."

"I-it's al-alright," Hinata blushed again. Then she ventured, with a quiet voice, "He's cute."

"Didja hear that Akamaru?" Kiba grinned, showing off sharp canines. He patted the puppy's head, "You've got yourself an admirer!"

"Hina-chan!," Naruto immediately sidled up to her. Hinata could help but meet his clear blue eyes, which probably worsened her already dark blush. "When did you get here?"

"J-just a f-few m-minutes ago," she answered. Was it really a few minutes? She and Neji had just walked around a bit. It couldn't have been too long.

"This is awesome, now you can ride with me," Naruto grinned happily. Hinata gave him a weak smile, wondering how anybody could be so exuberant.

"Sasuke-kun, guess who came!" Naruto shouted to the dark-haired man trailing a little behind the group. Hinata caught his eye for a moment, noticing that he seemed quite…annoyed. Still, it was all very strange to her – for once, Uchiha-sensei wasn't wearing his usual suit and tie. Instead, he was wearing a dark blue polo with equally dark jeans. His glasses were gone. Maybe they were just for show, she mused. He looked much, much younger without them.

"Che," he grunted noncommittally. "You're too loud, Naruto. And call me Sasuke-kun again; I will fail you on tomorrow's exam."

"Aww, you can't do that!" Naruto whined. Hinata suppressed an urge to giggle. Outside of school, anybody would've thought that these two were brothers, or classmates – not teacher and student.

"Yes, I can. It'll be better than the zero you'll probably get." Was that a smirk she saw on Sasuke's face? He glanced at her and his expression softened a bit, "Hello, Hyuga-san."

"H-hello," she managed to stammer. His eyes looked darker than normal without the frames blocking them.

"Ugh, let's ignore this jerk, Hina-chan," Naruto put a hot, uncomfortable arm around Hinata's shoulder, and dragged her away from Sasuke, who had turned his attention back to his small, stylish phone.

"I-I don't h-have any money," Hinata mumbled when they reached the front of the line. She hadn't planned on doing anything at the fair, so her purple wallet was still lying on the glass coffee table back the condo.

"It's alright, Hina-chan," Naruto pulled out a swollen frog-shaped coin purse, "Gama-chan is pretty full right now, so I'll pay."

Hinata eyed the bulging frog sack, wondering if it was the "Gama-chan" Naruto was referring to. Strange thing that Naruto would nickname his coin purse. But then again, today had been full of strange things, so maybe this was just one of them.

After Naruto had paid for their tickets (Hinata promised to pay him back the next day), they waited for the rest of the group to pay for theirs as well. Hinata was content, for the moment, because Naruto kept the one-sided conversation flowing, and all she had to do was nod and smile once in a while. She didn't have to say anything. Glancing back at the form of her cousin, who still struggling with the bubble-gum, she felt that maybe this should count as "socializing". She wasn't talking, but someone was talking _to_ her.

"Naruto! Get over here!" Ino shouted and waved a hand.

"Be right back," Naruto told Hinata, "I still have to tell you about that one time when I ate ten bowls of ramen in half an hour!" He loped off to the group, leaving Hinata stranded in the middle of the fair. She glanced over to where Ino was talking in rapid-fire pace with Naruto and the rest of the crew. It seemed like such a warm and happy go lucky picture, just them and their smiles. She couldn't help but feel that maybe she was putting a damper on the mood.

It was some time before she noticed a familiar figure standing next to her, equally as silent but more relaxed.

"O-oh, hello a-again," Hinata looked up and gulped, "U-uchiha-sensei."

"Hyuga-san," he smiled politely. "How are you?"

"U-um…I'm okay," she replied shakily, not really knowing what to say. After a few seconds of unbearably heavy silence, she focused on his chin (his eyes were frightening to look at) and muttered, "I-I thought y-you weren't c-coming?"

"Oh? And how would you know that?" He raised one elegant eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. She flushed pink again, and murmured, "Ah-u-um, I-I just th-thought y-you…w-weren't?"

"Again with the stuttering, Hyuga-san," he shook his head as if disappointed. Hinata cringed. "I'm not that frightening."

"I-I'm s-sorry," she bit her tongue and looked at the pavement. The awkwardness was just completely _unbearable_. She just didn't like being around him, for some odd reason. He gave off an odd feeling, something that made her feel alive. Like what she said mattered somehow, like she was important.

Hinata wasn't sure if she liked it.

She heard a fizzle and a loud pop resounded around her. Then suddenly the lights shut off and everything was dark.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I had such big things planned for this chapter…but I realized that everything would drag on too long and I didn't want to end up with a large, humongous chapter. So I cut it in half.

But anyway, if you read my other stories, you can see I'm going in rounds, trying to update each one.

Please review?

moonhaku


End file.
